I want to write a supernatural novel but am wary about promoting messing with evil spirits/magic because I believe it exists?

First when answering this question - if you have never dealt with Ouija boards, or had paranormal experiences, or known of voodoo, or had out of body experiences etc. This will just sound like crap to you, so this is more for people who have a broader understanding of reality at large.

Personally, I know that...

15 Answers

bluebellbkk 03/11/2018.

I would have taken your question more seriously if you hadn't added the pointless and banal 'lol' at the very end.

Cogito 03/11/2018.

Fortunately, most intelligent people do NOT believe that evil spirits or magic exists, so I think you'll be fine writing whatever you like.

Gigapie 03/11/2018.

Oh, go fcuk yourself.

Prince 03/11/2018.

Not everything "SupernaturaL" is necessarily "Evil". Our society has a terrible saturation of evil and the games gunning down people help to drive people crazy and create shooters and mass murderers, while the Saw movies make plenty of people crazy and abusive and scary. so the Society is already evil and you could improve it by a positive supernatural novel. There are GOOD forces at work in the world also. Jesus's healings and miracles could hardly be called "natural" and are definitely "supernatural" yet are healings. there are many examples of supernatural healing in every race and culture on this planet. Read "Little Big" a supernatural novel by John Crowley which emphasises gentler things in the spirit realm.

Elaine M 03/11/2018.

Part of paranormal is that in many ways it IS normal.

It doesn't' have to be bad. Ask, on any pet forum, if anyone ever had the ghost of their loved pet come back for a while. You'll have people telling you that yes, it happened.

Marli 03/11/2018.

If my conscience disapproved of the story, I would not offer it for publication. I would not be true to myself if I did, and my anxiety would affect the quality of my work.

If I believe that my story is worth writing, I will write it, even if magic is involved. I would write it with a lot of prayer, though. Bad guys have to do bad things, and their actions and motives have to be plausible, but my book should be promoting the good.

A writer can persuade, but it's up to the reader to judge the reality of a story and what lesson he takes from it for his own life, just as it's up to him to choose his path.

Katrina E. 03/11/2018.

You can write the story and focus on the theme that spirits and the supernatural should not be messed with.

Many people want to believe in the supernatural. It's not really a "broader understanding of reality at large". If it had anything to do with reality it would be natural and not supernatural.

But for some people a belief in the supernatural forces contributes to the feeling that life has meaning. People facing challenges and struggling with finding meaning in their life are more likely to believe the supernatural. Evil forces can be used to explain some inexplicable actions. Understanding that can add some depth to your story.

Plus if there are evil forces in the world then there are probably forces of good - so even evil spirits can contribute to accepting the idea of good supernatural forces.

Maybe your story can help people find meaning in life rather then encourage messing with evil spirits.

Andrew 03/11/2018.

When authors tackle subject matter that could be dangerous, they have a responsibility to alter the specifics enough so that anyone stupid enough to attempt to recreate the events in the story or stupid enough to use one of the plot points as the inspiration to do something idiotic would not be successful in that endeavour. Authors talk about bypassing alarm systems, hot-wiring vehicles, executing kidnappings and murders, and all kinds of potentially dangerous or deadly concepts. And while the story ought to read as though the author knows exactly how to bypass an alarm, steal a car, or kidnap and murder someone without getting caught, the author should have the forethought, intelligence and common sense and decency to abstain from providing an actual blueprint of flawless step-by-step instructions on how to do terrible things. Make sure you tweak your details enough to make it impossible for a reader to find him or herself in trouble after reading your story.

Oliviah 03/11/2018.

I think you'd be fine if you wrote it

Ty 03/11/2018.

You can't do a story justice if you refuse to delve deep. Choose another topic.

Jan 03/11/2018.

The Bible has supernatural stories...make your story on reality.

Dr 03/11/2018.

just do it but have good spirits too, that way because you included good spirits if any evil ones try to get you the good ones will protect you.

Tina 03/11/2018.

Dennis Wheatley wrote scads of novels about black magic without, I am sure, persuading anyone to try it. For one thing it sounds (in his novels anyway) very silly, and for another the Good Chaps always win, so who wants to put him or herself on the losing side?

Besides, I think the power of literature is much over-estimated. No one has read any of my short stories and become a werewolf, a vampire or an occultist even for recreational purposes.

Grundoon 03/11/2018.

It IS crap. The paranormal is just ramblings from the gullible

Rhys 03/11/2018.

If youre really concerned, put a disclaimer ar the start of the story warning that spirits are not to be taken lightly.